For many Aston Martin owners, their first experience of the brand was in model form. The multi-million-selling 261 model was a perfect replica of the DB5 that debuted in 1964’s Goldfinger, right down to the meticulously engineered gadgets that were crammed into the gold-painted bodyshell. Released just ahead of 1965’s Thunderball, the fourth film in EON Productions’ James Bond series, the DB5 has been without a major challenger for decades.
Now there’s a new model in town. For the next generation of Bond fans, The Little Car Company’s DB5 Junior No Time To Die Edition is much more than a mere plaything. This hand-built, two-thirds scale car mirrors the gadget-laden original, and provides a scintillating electric driving experience for youngsters and adults alike. Taking the LCC’s impressive DB5 Vantage Junior as a starting point, The Little Car Company’s No Time To Die Edition combines maximum power with a playful set of fully functional gadgets — albeit toned down from the lethal originals.
The strictly limited-edition model includes four electric driving modes — Novice, Expert, Competition, and Escape Mode — that ramp up the power to an impressive maximum of 20kW, propelling the DB5 Junior to a base speed of 30mph (rising to 45mph for the Vantage and No Time To Die Editions), with a range of up to 80 miles. In a nod to the Bond films’ talented stunt teams, the No Time To Die Edition has a rally-style hydraulic handbrake for entertaining twists and turns.
Produced in close collaboration with Aston Martin and EON Productions, the car includes top-secret gadgets such as a pair of mini guns mounted behind the DB5’s elegant faired-in headlights (a Q Branch modification that is showcased in No Time To Die’s opening sequence), a smoke screen triggered from the hidden control panel, and a digital display screen, as seen in the film.
Aston Martin is synonymous with 007, and the iconic DB5 has a major role in No Time To Die, the 25th Bond film. The 25 full-scale DB5 Goldfinger Continuation cars, built by Aston Martin Works in Newport Pagnell in 2021 and costing £3.3m each, were a great success. This very special DB5 Junior, which will have a very limited production run, marks another milestone in this enduring relationship.
This story is an extract from an article featured in the AM49 issue of Aston Martin magazine, out now. If you're not already a subscriber, visit magazine.astonmartin.com/magazine-subscription so that you can read the full story.
